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CHARTER, 

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS 

OF THE 

NEW YORK STATE 

COLONIZATION SOCIETY. 



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CHARTER, 



CHAPTER 2U. 

An Act to Tncorporate the JSTeio York State Col- 
onization Societg. Passed April 10, 1855. 

The People of the State of New York, represented 
in Senate and Assembty, do enact as follows : 

§ 1. Title. Anson G. Phelps, Gardmer Spring, 
D.D., James Boormann, W. P. Van Rensselaer, 
Herman Camp, Ai'chibald Mclntyre, S. H. Tyng, 
D.D., Washington Hunt, T. Frelinghaysen, J. S. 
Spencer, D.D., G. P. Disosway, J. W. Beekman, D. 
A. Bookee, Hamilton Fish, Hugh Maxwell, D. S. 
Gregory, L. B. Ward, John B. Pinney, J. B. Col- 
lins, Math. Hyden, Francis Hall, Wm McMurray, 
Sam'l A. Foot, Hu-am Ketcham, and all persons 
who now are, or hereafter declare to be, and are 
constituted a body politic and corporate, by the 
name of the "New York State Colonization So- 
ciety." 



§ 2. Business and Object. — The particular busi- 
ness and objects of tlie said Society are to provide 
the wa^'s and means and to manage, appropriate 
and apply the same to colonize, with their own con- 
sent, people of color of the United States on the 
coast of Africa and through them to civilize the 
African tribes and also generally to improve the 
condition of the colored population of our country 
by appointing and sustaining agencies; diffusing 
information: collecting, receiving, appropriating 
or investing ftuids for purposes of education in its 
various branches among people of color of our 
country' heretofore colonized or hereafter to be 
colonized in Africa ; and by other means conducive 
to the objects of African colonization. 

? 3. General Powhrs. — The corporation hereby 
created shall possess all the general powers, rights 
and privileges, and be subject to the restrictions 
contained and prescribed in the third title of the 
eighteenth chapter of the first part of the revised 
statutes. 

# 4 Constitution and By-Laws — The Constitu- 
tion and By-Laws at the date of the passage of 
this act of the association designated and known 
as the "New York State Colonization Society" 
shall be and continue in force as a Constitution and 



8 

By-Laws for the government and direction of the 
corporation hereby created; and the officers of 
such association, at the date of the passage of this 
act. shall be and continue officers of the corpora- 
tion hereby created until removed or others are 
duly elected iii their places : and all the estate and 
property which such association may have hereto- 
fore received or acquired by gift, bequest, devise, 
or otherwise, and at the time of the passage of this 
act held by them for the objects specified in the 
second section of this act, is hereby vested in the 
corporation hereby created, and said corporation 
may hold and may convey and dispose of the same 
as their estate and property legally acquired under 
this act. 

f 5. Election ()f Officers and Management of 
Property. — The corporation hereby created shall 
have power to alter its Constitution and By-Laws, 
or at any time to make and adopt a new Constitu- 
tion and new By-Laws not inconsistent with laws of 
this State, so as fully to regulate and control the 
admission of members, the election of its officers, 
their number, duties, and tenure of office, the safe- 
keeping ■' nd management of its property, in what 
manner and by whom its corporate powers shall be 
exercised, and the administration of all other busi- 



ness and affairs for the due and complete exercise 
of all such corporate powers. 

§ 6. Money Affairs. — The management and dis- 
posal of the funds, property and estate of the said 
corporation and the entire regulation and control 
of its corporative business and affair's shall be vested 
in the officers hereby appointed or hereafter to be 
elected pursuant to its Constitution and By- Laws, 
at the times and in the manner therein provided. 

§ 7. Elections. — In case it shall at any time hap- 
pen that an election of officers shall not be made 
on the day designated therefor, the corporation 
hereby created shall not for that cause be dissolved, 
but it shall and may be lawful on any other day to 
hold an election for such officers in such manner as 
may be directed by the by-laws of such corporation. 

^ 8. Real Estate. — The corporation hereby cre- 
ated by its corporate name shall,' in law, be capable 
of taking, receiving, purchasing and holding real 
estate for the purposes of their corporation, at)d 
for no other purpose, to an amount not exceeding 
the sum of fifty thousand dollars in value; and 
personal estate for like purj)oses to an amount not 
exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand dollars 
in value, but the clear annual income of such real 



and personal estate shall not exceed the sum of 
thii'ty thousand dollars. 

§ 9. Limit of Property. — The corporation hereby 
created shall be capable of taking, holding, or re- 
ceiving any property, real or personal, by virtue of 
any devise or bequest contained in any last will and 
testament of any person whatsoever, the clear 
annual income of such devise or bequest shall not 
exceed the sum of twenty thousand dollars. 

§ 10. The legislature may at any time alter, mod- 
ify or repeal this act. 

? 11. This act will take effect immediately. 



CONSTITUTION. 



Art. 1.— This Society shall be called the NEW 
YORK STATE COLONIZATION SOCIETY. 

Art. 2 — The object of this Society shall be to 
colonize, with their own consent, peoj)le of color of 
the United States, on the coast of Africa, and 
through them to civilize and Christianize the Afri- 
can tribes ; and also generally to improve the con- 
dition of the colored population of our country. 

Art. 3. — This Society shall consist of the follow- 
ing persons : 

Rev. J. D. Wells, Robert Porterfield, 

Rev. J. C. Lowrie, Morris J. Franklin, M.D. 

Rev. Sam'l D. Alexander, Geo. Putnam Smith, 
Chas. H. Nichols, M. D., H. B. Dyer, 
Rev. Geo. W. Samson, Henry P. Doremus, 
Thos. Davenport, D. R. James, 

Henry M. Schieffelin, Geo. E. Dodge, 
Isaac T. Smith, Wm. H. Schieffelin, 

Rev. RoBT. S. McArthur, Ernest H. Crosby, 
AsHBEL Green, 

who are the officers and managers, and for some 



time past have been the only members of the Soci- 
ety, and also three other persons to be chosen by 
them so as to make the number twenty two. 

Art. 4. — The Officers of the Society shall be a 
President, and two Vice Presidents, who shall be 
chosen by ballot at the annual meeting which shall 
take place at the Society's room on the first Monday 
of May, in each year : the polls being kept open 
from 3 p. M. to 4 p. m. Also a Treasurer, Con-es- 
ponding Secretary, and Recording Secretary. All 
officers shall hold over until their successors are, 
elected. 

Akt. 5. — The officers and remaining members 
shall constitute the Board of Managers. 

Aet. 6. — The Board of Managers shall have power 
to fill all vacancies occurring in their body at any 
regularly convened meeting, and to declare the 
place of any member vacant who shall be absent 
from all the meetings of any year without satisfac- 
tory reasons. 

Art. 7. — To be regularly convened due notice of 
the meeting shall be sent to each member, and seven 
members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings shall 



8 

be called by the RecordiDg Secretary when request- 
ed to do so b}^ any four members in writing. 

Art. 8 — The President shall preside at all meet- 
ings of the Society. The Treasurer shall keep the 
accouns of the Society, and take care of its funds 
and hold them subject to the du'ection of the Board 
of Managers The Recording Secretary shall have 
charge of the records of the Society, and shall keep 
the minutes of meetings of the Society and Board 
of Managers. The Corresponding Secretary shall 
conduct all correspondence, and act as the Society's 
general agent, subject in the discharge of his duties 
to the direction of the Board of Managers. The 
Secretaries and the Treasurer shall be appointed 
by and hold their offices during the pleasure of the 
Board, but shall not bd removed from office without 
the vote of at least ten. In the absence of the 
President, the senior Vice President shall preside 
at meetings of the Society and Board of Managers- 
If neither the President or the Vice President be 
present, a manager shall be appointed temporary 
chairman. The Board of Managers shall have the 
direction of the affairs of the Society, make by laws 
for its government, and have the care, management 
and disbursement of its funds. 



9 

Art. 9. — This Constitution may be amended at 
any annual meeting of the Society by a vote of a 
majority of the members present. The member 
proposing an amendment, shall submit the same to 
the Corresponding Secretary, who shall fui*nish to 
each member of the Society a copy thereof, at least 
one month previous to such meeting. 



BY-LAWS 



1. Regular meetings of the Board of Managers 
shall be held at the Society' s room or such other 
place in the city of New York as the Board may 
appoint, on the first Tuesday of January, May and 
October, in each year. 

2. There shall be an Executive Committee, con- 
sisting of the President, Treasurer, Corresponding 
Secretary and four other Managers, who shall be 
chosen annually by the Board at its first meeting 
to do the ordinar}^ business of the Board, and re- 
port by reading their own minutes at the regular 
meetings of the Board ; a majority of the Commit- 
tee shall constitute a quorum. 

3. The Executive Committee may choose from 
its members a Finance Committee of three, who 
shall have general charge of the Finances of the 
Society. 

4. The presiding officer at any meeting of the 
Board shall appoint all special committees, unless 



11 



it be otlferwise ordered by the resolution creating 
them 

5. The Eecording Secretary shall preserve in a 
book, j^rovided for that purpose, an accui-ate copy 
of the Charter and Constitution of the Society and 
of these By-Laws, and also record therein all 
amendments of said Constitution and By-Laws 
which may be made from time to time. He shall 
notify the Chairmen of committees of the names of 
the members of their committee and of the object 
of theii' appointment. He shall notify officers and 
managers of their election, and perform the general 
duties of a secretary. 

6. The Treasurer sail keep a regular account of 
all moneys by him received or disbursed, and shall 
make no i^aj^ment on account of the Society, except 
by general or special resolution of the Finance 
Committee. His accounts shall be examined by an 
Auditing Committee within one month preceding 
the annual meeting. He shall render an account 
current at every meeting. 

7. The order of business at the meetings of the 
Board shall be as follows: (1st.) Reading the min- 
utes of the last meeting; (2d.) Report of the Ex. 
Committee: (3d.) Report of Corresponding Secre- 



12 

tary; (4th.) Keport of Treasurer; (5th.) Report of 
special committees in the order in which they stand ; 
(6th.) Miscellaneous business. 

8. These By-Laws may be amended or altered at 
any regular meeting of the Board, upon proposition? 
in writing, stating the proposed amendment or al- 
teration made by any member at the regular meet- 
ing preceding that at which the proposition is acted 
upon. 



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